A recent editorial defending Gov. Mark Dayton's pay raises for state commissioners ("Flap over state pay lacks vital context," Feb. 11) badly missed the mark. While "fair-minded Minnesotans" certainly want to attract talented and accomplished individuals to state government, it is hard to see how Dayton's hefty pay increases for his commissioners are "justified" in any way, shape or form.

Consider these facts:

Dayton raised the salaries of his commissioners by a total of $928,000. Several commissioners received raises of more than $30,000. Most notably, new Metropolitan Council chairman (and husband of Dayton's chief of staff), Adam Duininck, saw his position's pay soar from approximately $61,000 to nearly $145,000. While Duininck's position had previously been part time, the Dayton administration has now classified it as full time for the governor's second term.

When questions were raised immediately about the pay raises, Dayton scoffed, claiming his cabinet members could earn 10 times their salary in the private sector.

As the pay-raise furor has grown, Dayton wrote a letter to legislative leaders in which he insisted, "The raises I approved were to salaries that had remained stagnant for twelve years and thus were well below amounts paid to people with comparable responsibilities in other states." Yet data from Minnesota Management and Budget show that Dayton approved pay increases of $5,000 to $6,000 for his commissioners in both 2013 and 2014. In 2013, the DFL-controlled Legislature gave Dayton the authority to unilaterally raise the salaries of his agency commissioners; the bill passed with unanimous DFL support. In addition, DFLers unanimously approved a new $90 million Senate office building during the same session. Dayton also signed that bill into law.

If the excessive pay raises for his commissioners and an extravagant new office building weren't bad enough, Dayton has reiterated his long-standing call for pay raises for part-time legislators. He has even claimed that GOP opposition to his commissioner pay raises amounts to "revenge for my getting re-elected."

Unfortunately for Dayton, no less a Democrat than DFL Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk has expressed concern about the pay hikes. "I have reservations about the size of the commissioners' salary increases," Bakk said. Bakk then helped to pass a measure in the Senate that called for a six-month suspension of the salary raises Dayton had approved. The Senate voted 63-2 to suspend the raises.

Following his November re-election, Dayton promised Minnesotans to expect "Dayton unbound" in a second term. Dayton noted, "When you run for office, you deal with rhetoric. When you serve in office, you deal with the reality."

Well, Dayton is certainly dealing with reality now. His second term is off to a decidedly rocky start, dominated by headlines and strong public disapproval of his support for lavish pay raises for his commissioners.

Rep. Roz Peterson, R-Lakeville, has introduced the Public Approval of Commissioner Pay Raises Act (HF666). The bill would bring transparency and taxpayer protection to the conversation over political pay raises, giving legislators the ability to approve future increases. It would put an end to Dayton's blank check. To restore accountability and public trust, it's time to pass the Public Approval of Commissioner Pay Raises Act.

Mark Drake is president of the Minnesota Jobs Coalition.